ponder

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/ UK /ˈpɒn.də/ See IPA manual

Freq #19977

Meanings

1

verb
To think about something carefully for a long time.

She pondered the question before giving her answer.
2

noun
A period of careful, deep thought.

After a long ponder, he decided not to take the job.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to think about something... chew over mull over muse

More afterthinkagitate bethink chew cogitate consider contemplate deliberate introspect meditate mull

Word family

Forms ponderedponders

Derived forms beponderponderableponderanceponderizereponderunpondered

Related forms considerationpondermentpondersomepreponderpreponderance preponderant preponderate

Simplified etymology

Ponder entered English in the Middle Ages and ultimately shares the Latin root pendere, “to weigh,” with pensive. Its sense of considering something carefully developed from the image of weighing up different options.

Etymology

From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

*(s)pend- Proto-Indo-European ponderen Middle English ponderer Old French ponderāre Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# ponder

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɒn.də/
**Frequency rank:** 19977

## Meanings
1. To think about something carefully for a long time.
2. A period of careful, deep thought.

## Examples
- She pondered the question before giving her answer.
- After a long ponder, he decided not to take the job.

## Synonyms
- afterthink
- agitate
- bethink
- chew
- cogitate
- consider
- contemplate
- deliberate
- introspect
- meditate
- mull
- muse

## Derived Forms
- beponder
- ponderable
- ponderance
- ponderize
- reponder
- unpondered

## Related Forms
- consideration
- ponderment
- pondersome
- preponder
- preponderance
- preponderant
- preponderate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)pend-
- Root: ponderen
- Root: ponderer
- Root: ponderāre

## Etymology
From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

## AI Etymology
Ponder comes from Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound. The historical chain includes *(s)pend- (Proto-Indo-European), ponderen (Middle English), ponderer (Old French), ponderāre (Latin). In present-day English it covers to think about something carefully for a long time and a period of careful, deep thought. The wider family includes derived forms such as beponder, ponderable, ponderance, ponderize, reponder and related forms such as consideration, ponderment, pondersome, preponder.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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